If you are looking for a unique event and a new reason to visit Zagreb, you're in the right place! Combining arts and contemporary culture, Artupuncture creates an extraordinary experience in the streets of Zagreb, where art and artists are celebrated. These works, strategically arranged at various points around the city, write a different story about Zagreb.

What is Artupuncture? 

Zagreb is a living organism. Its streets are full of people's energy. Its parks and squares, like heartbeats, resound with the steps of those who live here or visit it. It is to them that the city, through its artists, brings Artupuncture - a collaboration of all partners and friends of culture and creation, which aims to awaken its vital energy through joint artistic activity at specific points in the city. 

Image credit: Lice Grada

In short – Artupuncutre is an artistic platform that unites authors, programs, works, passers-by, visitors, and Zagreb. It is becoming a recognizable event in the autumn period, reserved for culture and art. It grows year by year. More than twenty partners were involved this year, compared to eight partners last year. 

What makes this project special is that the program is set in various locations throughout the city - from streets, parks, and building facades, to storefronts and galleries where paintings, art installations, projections, sculptures, and objects await us, as well as some light installations.

Zagreb as a Living Open-Air Gallery

Connecting culture, art, and tourism, Artupuncture emphasizes contemporary culture in our everyday lives. In that context, Zagreb is a creative center of the urban cultural scene that aims to raise awareness of the value of creation. The main idea behind this project is that it will heal you from the stress of your everyday life, through art works that you can experience in the city streets. Zagreb thus turns into a large open-air exhibition space, and random passers-by are its visitors.  

Image credit: Lice Grada

Projekt Ilica: Q'ART – Lush September

This one is my favorite! A part of Ilica street gets closed off to host the coolest street festival in Zagreb – Projekt Ilica: Q'ART. This multidimensional and multidisciplinary event includes artistic disciplines and public art, cultural activities, strolling, interacting, workshops, lectures, presentations, creative happenings, and gatherings of next-door neighbors. Not only that, but Ilica is also an excellent place to display innovative, fun, and artistic pieces and products. 

Image credit: Miljenko Hegedić

The very placement of this street carries a strong symbolic and artistic significance. It provides a solid platform for collaboration between the artist and the community, and a powerful model of taking art into the community in other areas and cities.

I also took part in this event. I was there to promote my small greeting card business called Mige. I was so excited, but a bit worried because of the weather. But, of course, everything was perfect in the end. The atmosphere, positive energy, friendship, and community... It was such a pleasure being there! It was beautiful seeing people gathering and supporting small businesses. The city was flourishing! 

Image credit: Miljenko Hegedić

Artupuncture united Zagreb's art scene and created a new, inspiring community through creative art installations. Furthermore, it showed Zagrebians the importance of art, which erased the boundaries between everyday life and the healing effect of art.

Header image credit: Lice Grada

Author: Magdalena Hegedić